MANHATTAN BEACH YOUTH ATHLETICS, INC.
Manhattan Little League & Manhattan Beach Girls Softball
December 1, 2009
Andrew Hunter, President
Dear Manhattan Beach Families,
It is an honor to be the President of Manhattan Beach Youth Athletics (MBYA) in its "inaugural" year. For over 50 years, both our baseball and softball programs were run by Manhattan Little League (MLL). Last year, the softball program decided that it was in the best interest of our girls' development to end its affiliation with Little League and join an association specializing in softball. Thus, a new organization was formed - Manhattan Beach Girls Softball (MBGS) - which is now affiliated with the Amateur Softball Association (ASA). We are very excited about this new affiliation because it will allow the softball program to expand and to maintain the high level of competition that the program has enjoyed over the years.
Our baseball program will remain affiliated with Little League and will continue to be run by MLL as it has for the last 52 years. Little League will not let a chartered organization such as MLL also run an ASA affiliated league. Thus, in order to maintain continuity and our combined volunteer base, we formed MBYA. MBYA will act as an umbrella organization to help promote funding, field coordination, communications, etc., while at the same time providing the same great community-based baseball and softball programs that we have come to expect in Manhattan Beach.
Please head on over to
www.mbya.org to register for the 2010 Spring Season. As in years past, to ensure that every child can enjoy baseball or softball, the MBYA Board has continued two programs. The first is a scholarship program, which will pay the registration fees for families experiencing financial hardship. The second program is called "Everybody Plays," which will buy new equipment for families in need. With "Everybody Plays" the equipment is delivered to the parents who give it to their children. Both programs are handled with confidentiality. If you would like information on these programs, please contact me (
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) in confidentiality.
On the baseball side, MLL will be offering the same great leagues as last year from T-Ball for our starting players through our competitive Juniors and Seniors programs. MLL's Juniors and Seniors programs offer professional coaching as well as access to the Mira Costa High School coaching staff to assist our players in preparing for high school baseball.
On the softball side, the former American, National, Pacific, Majors and Juniors divisions are being replaced with 8U, 10U, 12U and 14U divisions. In addition, MBGS will also be offering a 6U softball division as an alternative to T-Ball for girls who want to get started early on their softball careers. The 6U league will combine elements of coach pitching and hitting from the "T," and games will be limited to one hour a week similar to T-Ball.
While registering, please consider volunteering. Our league has been successful for the past 52 years because of the great volunteers who give hundreds of hours of time with little recognition. Volunteering for MBYA is a great opportunity to get involved in the Manhattan Beach community. If you want to make a new friend, grab a hose, rake or chalk box and go to work on the fields. Or better yet, work a couple of shifts in the snack stand. There are a lot of interesting and fun people in this community and MBYA provides a great opportunity for you to interact even if you have little experience with baseball or softball.
Please also consider a contribution to the "Friends of Manhattan Little League" or a purchase of the Manhattan Little League or Manhattan Beach Girls Softball merchandise. Both the charitable contribution and/or the merchandise purchase can be completed online with the 2010 Registration. If you would like help with registration, please consider one of the two walk-in registration dates at Dick's Sporting Goods.
In the coming year, MBYA will continue to focus on training and development. Over the course of the Spring, Summer and Fall seasons, our leagues offer over seventy games and forty practices. Most of the games are played with the goals of developing skills and the pure enjoyment of the game. Our Fall training and development programs in softball and baseball just completed a successful season. In baseball, we finished the Fall season with the 4th annual District #36 Fall Classic Tournament with teams from Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, El Segundo and Del Rey participating. We will also be distributing information shortly about the numerous training and development camps and clinics that will be available for the 2010 season.
To close, I would like to say Thank You to our sponsors. In the coming year, you will see their names prominently displayed around the fields, as their support literally puts the uniforms on the backs of our children.
I hope to see you all at our Opening Day Parade and festivities on March 6, 2010 and throughout the season!
Sincerely,
Andrew Hunter
MBYA President
*Over the last few years, we have had an increasing amount of parents not show up for their snack stand assignments despite not paying for and using the buyout option at registration. Unfortunately, when parents do not show up for their assigned time, we are forced to hire replacement workers to run the stands at a great cost which reduces our operating funds. Obviously, this is extremely unfair to the parents that either buyout or show up and work their shifts. In order to stem this problem and ease the financial burden on the league, the MBYA board has decided to require all parents at registration to confirm that if they do not buyout and therefore agree to work two snack stand shifts, and thereafter fail to work one or both of their shifts, then MBYA will be authorized to charge the credit card used at registration $100 per shift to cover the administrative and replacement worker costs resulting from the missed assignment.
